Since its inception in 1995, the Java programming language has become increasingly popular. Java, which is an interpreted language, enabled the creation of applications which could be run on a wide variety of platforms. This ability to function across a variety of different client platforms and Java's relatively easy implementation of network applications has resulted in its use in endeavors as basic as personal web pages to endeavors as complex as large business-to-business enterprise systems.
Most Java interactions are based around a server product which provides application support and controls access to resources. One such server product is WebLogic Server by BEA Systems of San Jose, Calif.
It is often useful for servers to represent hierarchical data structures such as portals, file systems, and databases through a web interface generated by the server. However, doing so in a manner that is efficient and intuitive has proven difficult. Most solutions have been very narrow in their applications and have faced performance limitations. What is needed is a flexible, intuitive, and powerful mechanism for representing hierarchical data structures generated by a server on a client.